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And every time I went to fall to the floor, Grace was there to catch me.
Sometimes, I could feel her body trembling with exhaustion. Catching me time after time, making sure my knees didn’t hit the floor. I was thankful to have her there, but I knew how much this was all weighing on her. She would’ve never had to do all this had I just listened to her.
Guilt poured into my chest every time she struggled to get me back up onto my feet.
“This isn’t working,” I said through my teeth. “It’s too soon.”
“Even with the replacement, you would’ve been up after three weeks. Complications or not. You can do this,” Grace said. “I know you can.”
“No, I can’t. We’ve been at this for an entire week, and I can’t even hold myself upright without these damn bars.”
“What did you expect?” she asked. “That you’d stroll out of here with your head held high after major experimental surgery?”
I grunted at her question, refusing to respond. Because the stubborn part of me did think that.
Even though the rational part of me knew it wasn’t possible.
“I have something we can try, if you’d let me take control,” Grace said.
“Fine. Whatever. Anything to get me through this damn hour so I can go back to bed,” I said.
“Put your arms on the bar and hold yourself up. I’m going to the other end.”
I propped myself up and lifted my head, watching her as she appeared on the other side. There was a small grin on her face as she stepped between the bars. Her hands fell to either side and she pushed herself up, then I watched as she did tricep dips right in front of me. Ten of them. Without batting an eye or getting winded.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Try them,” she said. “Then stand to your feet.”
“What?”
“Just do it, you stubborn man.”
I rolled my eyes, but I followed her command. I pushed myself up and did ten tricep dips, then I landed myself back onto my foot.
“Now, gently put your other foot on the floor and even out your weight distribution.”
“What?” I asked.
“Stand like a normal person, Hayden.”
“You don’t have to be so mean about it,” I said with a grin.
Gingerly, I planted my foot down onto the floor. Pain shot up my back, but I didn’t feel myself stumble. I looked up at Grace and I saw that twinkle in her eye. That twinkle that told me she was onto something.
“Okay. Do the dips again, but then come down on both feet.”
I quickly did what she asked before settling myself down. The pain was still there, but there was less of it. I stood assisted on both feet and my hip already felt more stable.
What kind of miracle was this woman working?
“Do you have it in you to do it one last time?” she asked.
“You seen these arms?”
“Plenty of times. They aren’t very impressive anymore,” she said coyly.
“Not impressive?” I asked. “I’ll show you impressive.”
